Insulator



- 3 Sheets-Sheet 1. G. FOWLER.

INSULATOR (No Model.)

No. 415,504. Patented Nov: 19, 1889.

am/12k? M i (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet G. FOWLER.

INSULATOR. No. 415,504. Patented Nov. 19, 1889.

(No Model.) 3 Sl1eets-Sheet 3 G. FOWLER.

INSULATOR.

No. 415,504 Patented Nov. 19, 1889.

' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE FO\YLER, OF PECKI'IAM, COUNTY OF SURREY, ENGLAND.

INSULATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 415,504, dated November 19, 1889.

Application filed January 10,1889; Serial No. 295,967. No model.) Patented in England January 30, 1888,No.1,386; in France December 28.1888, No. 195,060; in Belgium December 29, 1888,1T0. 8 1,474; in Sweden December 29, 1888,110. 1,915; in Norway January 4, 1889,1I0. 1,176; in Germany January 10, 1889, No. 48,007; in Spain March 15, 1889, No- 9,079; in Canada March 19, 1889,110. 30,939; in Italy March 31,1889,XLIX, 108, and in India April 24, 1889, N0- 29.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE FOWLER, civil engineer, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain and Ireland, residing at 22 Moncrieif Road, Hanover Park, Peckham, in the county of Surrey, England, have invented improvements in and connected with Insulating Devices for Supporting Telegraph and other ires or Electrical Conductors, (for which I have obtained British patent, dated January 30, 1888, No. 1,386; French patent, dated December 28, 1888, No. 195,060; Belgian patent, dated December 29, 1888, No, 84,474; German patent, dated January 10,1889,No. 18,007; Indian patent, dated April 24, 1889, No. 29; Swedish patent, dated December 29, 1888, No. 1,915; Norwegian patent, dated January 4, 1889, No. 1,176; Spanish patent, dated March 15, 1889, No. 9,079; Canadian patent, dated March 19, 1889, No. 30,939, and Italian patent, dated March 31, 1889,'Reg. A, Vol. XLIX, No. 108,) of which the following is a specification.

This invention has reference to insulating devices for supporting telegraph and other wires or electrical conductors, hereinafter called conductors.

My object is to maintain the conductor as nearly as may be in a state of practicallyuniform tension, while atthe same time allowing for sudden strains, such as may occur in consequence of a gale or from other cause,

- and likewise making due allowance for expansion and contraction due to change in temperature or stretching. For this purpose, in connection with the insulator proper, I provide a spring or springs arranged in such a manner that there shall be a continuous pull upon the conductor due to the action of the spring or springs, but in the event of contraction or an exceptional strain upon the conductor the insulator will yield, so that the conductor may not be broken, and in the event of expansion or reduction in the strain upon the conductor the slack will be auto matically taken up.

My invention likewise comprises a method of connecting the conductor to the insulator, as I will hereinafter explain.

I am aware it has been proposed to use spiral springs for taking up slack and allowing automatically for expansion and contraction; but the arrangements that have been suggested differ essentially from my invention, according to which a spring or springs act upon and through the insulator itself.

In the accompanying sheets of illustrative drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical section, and Fig. 2 a side elevation, of an insulating device constructed according to this invention, and shown applied to the arm of a telegraph-post. Fig. 2 also illustrates the method of connecting the wire to the insulator. Fig. 3 is a plan or top view, and Fig. 4 an inverted or under side view, of the insulator. Fig. 5 is a sectional plan on the line A B, Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is an elevation of the opposite side of the insulator to that shown in Fig. 2, further illustrating this method of connecting the wire to the insulator. Figs. 7, 8, and 9 are similar views to Figs. 1, 4c, and 5, respectively, illustrating a modification. Fig. 10 shows, partly in vertical section and partly in elevation, a further modified construction. Fig. 11 is a horizontal section on the line C D, Fig. 10.

Figs. 12 and 13 are diagrammatic views.

In Figs. 1 to 6,1 is an insulator of any suitable non-conducting material-such as porcelain-constructed with flanges, projections, or fillets 2, (herein after called flanges) between which are spaces 3, for a purpose hereinafter mentioned, and with any suitable arrangement of downwardly-depending drip rims or flanges-such as the concentric rims 1 and 5for more effectually insulating the conductor on the insulator from the supporting-bolt 6, and consequently from the earth in wet weather, as well understood.

7 is a downwardly-curved flange to aid in protecting the conductor wound on the insulator from rain.

8 is a coiled metallic spring inclosed within a case 9, to which its outer end is secured by any suitable meanssuch as a rivet-its inner end being bent and inserted in a recess 6, formed in the bolt 6, as shown in Fig. 5.

10 10 are projections that extend from the bottom plate 11 of the spring-case 9 into recesses 12, formed in theinsulator, and thereby prevent such insulator rotating independently of the spring-case. The top and bottom plates 11 and 11, respecth'ely, of the spring-case are mounted to rotate about the bolt 6.

13 is an arm of the telegraph-post, to which the lower squared portion 6" of the bolt 6 is fixed by a nut, as shown, or in any other convenient manner, as well understood.

\Vith the construction described and with the parts in the position shown in Fig. 1., it will be seen that the insulator can be rotated about its supporting-bolt (5, the motion in one direction winding up the spring and storing energy therein, the motion in the other direction being effected automatically by the unwinding of the spring when the insulator is free to turn.

If a conductor after being stretched in the usual manner be secured to and properly wound upon the insulator after the spring has been wound up, the insulator will be caused by the spring to exert a constant tension on the conductor and preventany slackness that would otherwise be produced by expansion of the wire, while the spring will nevertheless yield and enable the insulator to rotate or partly rotate, when necessary, in the opposite direction and counteract the effect of sudden strains on the wire during gales or storms, and also to compensate for contraction of the conductor. The tension to which the spring should be wound will depend upon the weight or length of the conductor between two insulators and upon the strains and extremes of temperature to which the conductor may be subjected.

A suitable method of winding and securing a length of flexible conductor 14 15 to the insulator is as follows: A loop 16 is first made in the conductor, and the loop inserted into one of the spaces 3 between the flanges 2, as shown in Fig. 2. The two portions lat and 15 of the conductor are then wound one on the upper and the other on the lower side of the flanges 2, in the same direction as that necessary to wind up the spring, until the space 3 at the opposite side of the insulatoris reached, where the two portions of wire or conductor are crossed, as shown in Fig. G,and the winding continued until a suiiicient number of coils have been wound 011 the insulator; or the two portions of conductor may be again crossed on reaching the first space 3, or that in which the loop 16 was inserted, as shown in Fig. 2, and the winding continued as before until a sufficient number of coils have been wound, the number depending upon the distance apart of the insulators, the weight of conductor to be carried, the probable extremes of temperature, force of wind; and other causes. This method of winding and securingthe conductor is especially adapted to turning corners in the line of route, and obviates the necessity for shackles as at present used for this purpose, as the wire may be led off at any angle from the insulator, as indicated in Fig.

The length of conductor 1t 15 may be wound upon and secured to the insulator in the manner described either before or after the spring therein has been wound up. After the spring has been wound up the portion 14: can be connected to the adjacent section of main conductor extending to the adjacent insulator to the rear, after such conductor has been first strained up in the usual manner. The other portion 15 may then be connected to the next succeeding section of main conductor, which is then connected in a similar manner to the next forward insulator; or several sections of main conductor li may be in one length and be connected to the flexible conductor 14 1-5 by wire windings, in the manner illustrated in Fig. 6; or in lieu of securing the main conductor ll to the flexible portion 1% 15 by wire, as shown, gripping devices of any suitable construction, adapted to securelyhold the wires together, maybe employed; or thelength of conductor 14 15 may be in one with the adjacent section of main conductor when this is sufflciently flexible, and be wound upon the insulator after the spring therein has been wound up. In the latter case the main section of main conductor and the insulator must be held in the strained and wound-up conditions, respectively, the portions 14 and 15 being left loose to facilitate their being readily coiled and secured upon the insulator. To prevent the successive sections of conductor between adjacent insulators becoming detached therefrom should one section become broken, the portions let and 15 of the wire may advantageously be secured together by fine wire, or in any other convenient manner, at the point (or points 17) where those portions cross each other, Figs. 2 and O.

In order that adjacent insulators may act similarly upon the conductor between them, either to stretch it or to relieve it, the conductor can be arranged either diagonally between the insulators, as indicated diagrammatically in Fig. 12, when the springs S are all wound in the same direction; or, if the springs in two adjacent insulators be arranged to turn the insulators in opposite directions, the conductors may be arranged as shown in Fig. 13. In these figures the arrows indicate the directions in which the coiled springs tend to turn the insulators.

In Figs. 7, S, and 9 the cylindrical portion of the spring-case 9 (shown in Figs. 1, 4, and 5) is dispensed with, the outer end of the spring 8 being bent and inserted in a recess 18, formed in the inner wall of the insulator, while the inner end of the spring is bent to form a square tube 19, to fit a correspondinglyformed bolt 0. This bolt is provided with a collar 20, upon which the bottom plate works. To put the parts together, the top plate 11 is cemented or otherwise secured to the insulator, and the spring 8 and bottom plate 1.1,

ITO

after being placed in position on the bolt 6, are inserted into the insulator, care being taken that the bent end of the spring 8 enters the recess 18. The bottom plate is then cemented or otherwise secured in place, and the insulator will then be free to be turned on the bolt 6. The top flange of the insulator in this example is reduced in diameter and the drip-rims 4t and 5 lengthened. In other respects the construction of the insulator is similar to that of the insulator shown in Figs. 1 to 6.

In Figs. and 11 the insulator constructed with flanges 2, as in the other arrangements shown, is rigidly secured to its supportingbolt 6, which is arranged to be capable of rotating or partly rotating within a hole; or it may advantageously be in a metallic bush or tube 21 in the armlS of the telegraph-post the bottom of the arm 13.

under (or against) the action of the coiled spring 8. This spring has its inner end connected to the bolt 6 and its outer end to the spring-case 9, as in Figs. 1 to 6; but the springcase in the arrangement now being described is rigidly secured to the top or (as shown) to The operation of this modified construction of spring-insulator is similar to those hereinbefore described.

\Vhen two insulators are usedone on each side of the telegraph-post-one end of each length of wire is, instead of being looped from one insulator to the other, wound singly round its insulator the requisite number of times, the ends of the two lengths being secured to the tops of the insulators and electrically connected by a rubbing contact piece or clip.

WVhat I claim is- 1. An automatically adjustable insulator having a tension device adapted to rotate the insulator in one direction and thereby maintain a conductor connected thereto in a state of practically-uniform tension, for the purpose specified.

2. In an insulating device for supporting an electrical conductor, the combination of an insulator proper 1, means for connecting a wire thereto, and a spring arranged to cause said insulator to rotate or tend to rotate in one direction and to allow it to yield in the opposite direction, substantially as herein described, for the purposes specified.

3. In an insulating device for supporting an electrical conductor, the combination of an insulator proper having circumferential flanges, a support for carrying said insulator, and a spring arranged between said insulator and support and adapted to rotate said insulator, substantially as herein described, for the purposes set forth.

4. In an insulating device for supporting an electrical conductor, the combination of an insulator proper having circumferential projections, a fixed support for carrying the same, and a spring in rigid connection with said insulator and with said support and adapted to rotate said insulator, substantially as herein described, for the purposes set forth.

5. In an insulating device for supporting an electrical conductor, the combination of an insulator proper, a spring arranged to cause said insulator to move or tend to move in one direction and to permit said insulator to yield in the opposite direction, and circumferential flanges on the exterior of said insulator, substantially as herein described,

for the purposes set forth.

6. In an insulating device for supporting an electrical conductor, the combination of an insulator, a support for carrying said insulator, and a spring capable of rotating said insulator, and the ends of which are adapted to engage with said insulator and said support by endwise mot'ement of said spring, substantially as herein described, for the purposes set forth.

7. In an insulating device, an insulator 1, a bolt 6, for supporting the same with its axis vertical, and a spring 8, secured to said bolt and adapted to rotate said insulator in one direction, substantially as described.

8. In an insulating device, the combination of an insulator proper 1, having circumferential flanges 2, with notches 3 between their adjacent ends and an internal recess 18, a bolt 6, for supporting said insulator, a coiled spring 8, having its outer end formed to engage with the interior of said insulator and its inner end to engage with said bolt, and upper and lower plates 11 and 11, arranged to fit within said insulator and to be carried by said bolt, substantially as herein described, for the purposes set forth.

9. An insulator having a body circular in cross-section and provided with horizontal flanges or divisions arranged to extend outwardly of said insulator from and at right angles to the circumference of said insulator, substantially as herein described, for the purpose set forth.

10. An insulator 1, having a body that is circular in cross-section and provided on its exterior with projecting lugs in the form of segmental flanges 2, that are arranged in the same horizontal planes, with spaces 3 between their adjacent ends, said flanges being made integral with the body of said insulator, substantially as herein described,for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE FO\VLER.

Witnesses:

W. CRoss, F. J. BROUGHAM, Both of 46 L'il'lGOZltS InnF'ields, London. 

